The fire broke out during a dance party Friday night in the cluttered warehouse. It had been converted to artists' studios and illegal living spaces, and former residents said it was a death trap of piled wood, furniture, snaking electrical cords and only two exits.

The fire ignited on the first floor, and officials said many of the victims did not realize there was a fire until it was raging.

It took rescue crews several days to safely remove the victims' bodies.